There are various PODs that can be ascribed to the Eastern Front of World War II. However, I would like for the members of this forum to weigh in on the following POD.
What if Fall Blau had been executed with greater success?
Factors:
*More limited objectives: The original plan of the offensive was too ambitious and involved seizing the Caucasus and Stalingrad all at the same time. What the Germans could have done was to use all their resources to seize the cities of the Volga and Don before launching an offensive into the Caucasus the following spring. This way, the 1st Panzerarmee and the Romanians could have been used to beef up the German offensive. Maybe more Russian troops could have been encircled and destroyed in the process, thus making subsequent thrusts into the Caucasus easier.
*Failure to encircle Russian troops: Due to strong Russian counterattacks in the early stages, the Wehrmacht failed to encircle Russian troops. Could the Germans have done better in this regard? Would Stalingrad have fallen due to the 62nd and 64th Armies being unable to fall back?
*Failure to retreat: Even if all the above goes wrong, what if Hitler wasn't so stubborn, and decides to retreat when it seems like the Battle of Stalingrad is lost?
I don't expect this POD to result in any shockingly major changes. Germany still would probably lose the war, but to what point would the war be delayed to? Also, would greater German gains on the Eastern Front mean more resources to fight off the D-Day landings or the landings in Italy?
And for reference:
http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6471
An Axis ORBAT.